Furnace Apprentice (Please Follow, Favorite, and Recommend!)

Chapter Seven

Lynn lay on the ground for more than ten minutes before he finally managed to catch his breath and struggle to his feet.

He was utterly exhausted. Supporting himself with both hands, his body trembling slightly, he nevertheless regained some strength and began assessing his situation.

He knew that he had only survived by the skin of his teeth because he had given it everything he had.

To ensure that the Daze Spell would be effective enough, he had drained all his mental power in one go, and the attacks that followed had pushed him to his limits.

The excessive use of mental power made his brain feel as though it had been hammered, waves of stabbing pain washing over him.

Lynn rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes to rest for a while. He confirmed that aside from the intense pain in his head, he had not suffered any serious injuries.

Although the blond youth had desperately thrown him away earlier, Lynn had luckily rolled several times and avoided his opponent's final counterattack, leaving him without any fatal wounds.

The only injuries were on his hands.

While gripping the bone spike and attacking frantically, he had used too much force and accidentally cut his palms on the tough spike. The wounds were not deep, but the burning pain still reminded him of the battle for his life.

Lynn lowered his head and looked at his bloodstained hands. A bitter smile appeared on his lips as he muttered,

"An ambush against someone unsuspecting... and it was still such a difficult win..."

At that moment, he felt both the relief of having survived a disaster and a deep exhaustion.

Even with a detailed plan, he had still ended up in such a sorry state.

However dangerous the process had been, he had survived in the end.

It was his first time killing someone. Lynn had thought he would feel intense discomfort and guilt, but he was strangely calm.

Perhaps it was because this had been a fight to the death, or perhaps the adrenaline still coursing through his body had numbed his nerves. He felt no discomfort at all; instead, he felt even calmer and more at ease.

"Those who kill will one day be killed... I avenged those he murdered."

Lynn murmured softly. He raised his head and looked toward the blond youth's corpse with cold eyes, then turned away without another glance.

After resting where he was for a while longer, Lynn confirmed that he was well enough to walk. He picked up his Earth Rhino Beast and headed toward the agreed destination with slightly weakened steps.

Lynn had not forgotten that this mission was ultimately still an assessment.

He glanced at the Earth Rhino Beast beside him and understood inwardly.

The reason the blond youth had kept carrying the Earth Rhino Beast was clearly because they had to bring their prey to report to that wizard in the end.

Not long after, Lynn finally reached the entrance to the Beast Pen.

From afar, he saw three figures standing at the entrance. One was unmistakably the scar-faced wizard, while the other two were sturdy young men.

Lynn could not help frowning. Those two were most likely the blond youth's companions.

"Russell, why are you so late?"

One of the youths, who had a high nose bridge, spotted a figure in the distance and called out, his tone carrying a hint of displeasure.

But before his words had even faded, his expression froze.

Because the person approaching from afar was not Russell, the blond youth they knew so well, but an unfamiliar face they had never seen before.

"If the Russell you're talking about is that blond guy, then he probably won't be coming."

Lynn slowly approached while dragging the Earth Rhino Beast. His gaze swept over the two youths before finally settling on the scar-faced wizard.

He smiled faintly and spoke in a relaxed tone.

The pupils of the two youths instantly contracted slightly, waves surging through their hearts.

Who was this guy? He had actually killed Russell in the Beast Pen and successfully emerged alive with an Earth Rhino Beast!

However, before they could ask any further questions, the scar-faced wizard spoke coldly.

"Yes, he is indeed the last one. You three have passed the assessment. Follow me."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and left without the slightest hesitation.

Hearing this, the weight in Lynn's heart finally lifted. Yet his face remained calm as he silently followed.

The other two youths were filled with wariness toward Lynn, but after exchanging a glance, they followed as well.

The Furnace was enormous and divided into many areas. The Beast Pen was merely one corner of The Furnace, a place specifically used to capture and raise magical beasts.

The residential area for wizards and Wizard Apprentices was far from the Beast Pen, located deep within The Furnace's core.

Lynn and the other two youths followed the scar-faced wizard along a winding road.

The scenery on both sides constantly changed. At first, they passed through barren lands reeking of wild beasts, which gradually gave way to flatter terrain, as though they had entered an entirely different world.

The scar-faced wizard remained silent the entire time. His steps were steady and swift, and he showed no interest in speaking with them.

Lynn and the other two youths also remained silent.

The three walked without a word, with only their footsteps echoing along the empty road.

Eventually, they were led to an area packed with buildings.

This was the Living District within The Furnace. As far as the eye could see were buildings of varying heights and broad plazas, while the people coming and going were quite diverse.

Lynn noticed that every one of them wore finely tailored robes in a uniform style.

Even more strikingly, whenever they passed by, nearly everyone stopped, bowed to the scar-faced wizard leading them, and voluntarily stepped aside. Every movement was filled with respect and fear.

This guy really does hold quite a high position...

Lynn marveled inwardly, gaining another layer of speculation about the scar-faced wizard's identity.

Amid countless bows and watchful gazes, Lynn and the other two were brought before a multi-story building at the center of the Living District.

The building was imposing, its exterior walls carved with intricate runes that faintly emitted mysterious fluctuations of power.

There was a reception desk at the entrance, behind which sat a man flipping through documents.

The man wore a well-tailored wizard's robe and carried an air of efficiency.

"Lord Drey, welcome back!"

Upon seeing the scar-faced wizard, the man immediately set down the documents in his hands, rose, and bowed. Then his gaze swept over Lynn and the other two, surprise evident in his voice.

"Are these the final batch of new students this year? There are only three of them?"

"Yes."

The scar-faced wizard, whom he had called Drey, nodded slightly and said coldly, "They are yours now, Colin. Lastly, give my regards to your teacher."

With that, he said nothing more and turned to leave, leaving behind only a cold, distant figure.

"Yes, my lord."

The man called Colin nodded slightly. After watching Drey leave, he turned his gaze back to Lynn and the other two.

He studied them for a moment, a courteous smile appearing on his face.

"You three, do you have anywhere you wish to go?"

Colin's tone was gentle.

Lynn froze, momentarily at a loss for words.

He knew almost nothing about the inner workings of The Furnace, so naturally, he had nowhere in particular he wanted to go.

Before he could speak, the two youths behind him had already answered impatiently.

"Lord Colin, I want to go to the Potion Department."

"Lord Colin, I hope to join the Alchemy Department."

Colin nodded slightly after hearing them and pointed to a wall not far away. An exquisite map hung upon it, marked with the locations of the various areas within The Furnace.

"Fine. There is a map over there. Go report in yourselves."

Colin waved a hand, then turned his gaze to Lynn. Seeing Lynn's bewildered expression, he spoke with slight surprise.

"I never expected that after being here for several years, I would actually meet a complete newcomer..."